The best little dive bar in San Luis Obispo County

Updated 11:38 am, Friday, July 24, 2015

For many, leaving a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York to run a neighborhood bar in Atascadero (population 28,000) could be quite a comedown. But for Daniel Green, former assistant general manager at the much-lauded Eleven Madison Park, the move meant that he and his wife, Erin, could come home — and come up with their unique “cocktail dive bar,” Whiskey & June.

“I knew that I wanted to be an owner the next time I entered into this type of business,” says Daniel, who grew up in Templeton and met Erin, a Eureka native, while she was studying kinesiology at Cal Poly. “But I felt as though I had reached a pinnacle in the restaurant business that I didn’t want to try to re-create on my own, and the spirits and bar aspect was something I could do without the supporting cast of 130 employees.”

Opened in 2013, the popular hangout on Atascadero’s main street has a staff of nine — including Daniel and Erin — and attracts two kinds of clientele, according to the Greens. The “usuals,” or regular customers from Whiskey & June’s previous incarnation as Terry’s Bar & Grill, who order well drinks and craft beer, and patrons who tend to prefer more adventurous concoctions, including traditional whiskey sours made with fresh lemon juice and egg whites, or Moscow mules and Manhattans made with locally distilled, small-batch spirits and served on tap.

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“You can get the best of both worlds: a Coors beer on tap or a cocktail created from the best ingredients in the world that you could find in a major city,” says Daniel, who earned his sommelier certification while in New York and also consulted with Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. “We’re very fortunate to have a staff willing to learn with us and create a new identity of craft cocktails in this area.”

Erin, who also works as an on-call nurse, focuses on Whiskey & June’s new catering business — a 1957 Scotsman trailer converted into a full-service bar — but still serves at the bar once or twice a week.

For food, Whiskey & June patrons can order bistro-style lunches from Hush Harbor bakery across the street daily except Sunday. Daniel recommends the tuna melt, “killer” baguette and ciabatta, made by a classically trained baker with an Italian oven: “I will put it up against most breads I’ve had on this planet.”

Daniel and Erin Green’s tips for top-shelf experiences in San Luis Obispo County:

Herman Story Wines. Hailing vintner Russell From’s “monster wines” and “fun, funky approach” to labeling, Daniel appreciates that his tasting room is a short walk from downtown Paso Robles — and boasts a large vase of tennis balls to toss to Hank, the resident German short-haired pointer. “He’s always at the winery and is kind of famous for destroying tennis balls.” 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.-Mon. or by appointment. 1227 Paso Robles St., Paso Robles. (805) 237-2400, www.hermanstorywines.com.

Boo Boo Records. The Greens indulge their newfound passion for vintage vinyl at this 41-year-old, multiroom music store and ticket outlet. “It’s obviously nice to support local and shop small when we can,” Erin says, “and you can get lost in there for quite a while.” 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. 978 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. (805) 541-0657, http://booboorecords.com.

The Ritual. “It’s a fun little hipster shop, with men’s clothes, mustache wax, combs and barber supplies, and in the back there’s an actual barbershop,” says Daniel. “I get a straight-blade shave there once a month — it’s my version of a mani-pedi.” 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun.-Wed., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. 781 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo. (805) 596-0360.

Noi’s Little Thai Takeout. “Southern Thai street food done to the max,” as Daniel calls it, draws the couple here regularly. “It has one of the most simple menus you can imagine, about seven items, and you almost can’t breathe because there’s so much pepper in the air.” 1288 Second St., Los Osos. (805) 528-6647, www.facebook.com/noisthaitakeout.

San Luis Obispo Blues. The Greens often ride their bikes to the stadium where the single-A baseball team plays — and fans can buy beer for $1 when the Blues score. “It feels like you’re a kid on a long summer day who’s getting away with something,” says Erin. Sinsheimer Stadium, 900 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo. (805) 512-9996, www.bluesbaseball.com.

Atascadero’s Hot El Camino Cruise Nite. Daniel is among those who turn out one night each August to see one of the state’s largest gatherings of hot rods and motorcycles “cruising up and down El Camino all night long, until 2 in the morning.” The barkeep is also quick to note that it’s legal to have an open container of alcohol while you gawk from the sidewalk. Aug. 21 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. El Camino Real, downtown Atascadero. (805) 470-3360, www.atascadero.org.